The Legend Retold
Chapter 3 – Partial Nudity & The Epidemic
Summary – When Kagome decided to try out for a part in the school play, she realized it was all about the feudal fairy tail that she's so tied up in! Will the end of their mission be revealed to her?
Author's note – This is by far my most popular fic, and I want to thank everyone who has reviewed it. This chapter is dedicated to The Black Moon because I was to hear the spoiler! I also had an idea for the end of the play itself, but hopefully that won't come for a while. I'll also try to leave room for a sequel!
Last chapter – Kagome signed up for the play, but so did all her friends. Would she even get a part?
This chapter – Kagome finds out who else got a role, and questions the true history behind the play.
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Kagome was awake for what felt like hours before her alarm clock went off. Slowly, she raised her arm and allowed it to drop limply onto the snooze button. With a muffled groan, the girl who did not feel her age at all pressed her face into her pink pillow, whimpering slightly. She felt the slight dampness in it and the dried tears on her face. She'd not bothered to wash up before falling straight asleep after her long cry. Her fingers gathered a clump of the pale pink fabric that was her sheet.
"Inuyasha..." she whispered, as if he could hear her. "I can't deny that I am in love with you... But I don't want to cry any more..." Rolling over and clutching her pillow to her chest, Kagome stared blankly up at the ceiling. "No more tears. I know what's coming, so I can change it... right? And... and I know the play isn't completely accurate. I mean, 'Miroko?'" Kagome gave a quiet, false laugh in a poor attempt to cheer herself up a bit. Realizing that there was little hope in this, Kagome rose and slouched to the bathroom to wash her face off.
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A certain dog-eared half demon bounced up onto the tree limb outside Kagome's room, his amber eyes taking it in. Her bed was unkempt, and the scent that lingered told him that she'd only just shuffled out. The dry, stale scent of tears also pervaded the half demon's nostrils. Wondering what that girl had had to be sad about now, Inuyasha entered her room slowly and sniffed. Her scent led him to the door of the little room of running water... the bathroom, as Kagome had called it. Come to think of it, there seemed to be some water running right now! Poor, oblivious Inuyasha decided just to walk on in; clawed hand pushing the door open carefully, he called loudly:
"Kagome! You in here?" There followed in short sequence a shriek, a splash, and then another scream. Kagome had been about to step into her morning shower, and was halfway in when Inuyasha came in. The girl tripped into the water, and Inuyasha screamed at Kagome's lack of clothing and rushed out before she could 'sit' him into the foundation of the house.
His face was a brilliant shade of red rivaling his robe, breathing hard as if he had just run a marathon. The story was the same for Kagome, sliding down the cold wall of the shower, one hand clutched over her chest, the other limp and forgotten at her side. Hopefully Inuyasha had seen no more than her backside, but Kagome wasn't about to quiz him about it.
Warm water was so soothing, partially removing the built up layers of stress within Kagome, who felt far too young to be taking such pressures. It even healed the goose bumps that had appeared when Kagome leaned against the powder-blue tiled wall. Inuyasha had not the fortune of such an all-purpose reliever, and settled for leaping outside and hiding himself in the tree, scaring away the poor birds and squirrels. That seemed to work well enough, and Inuyasha was soon feeling 'manly' again.
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Kagome walked to school with nothing but Inuyasha on her mind. She had been glad to see him after being so traumatized by the play, but hadn't gotten the chance to talk – after she got out the shower, he was nowhere to be found, and she knew better than to find his hiding spot. She decided to let him be until she got home, and then maybe they could pretend that this morning's events hadn't happened.
'Maybe it wasn't so big to him. Maybe it was just me, maybe I'm just getting too hyped up over this. I mean, he only has eyes for Kikyou anyway," thought Kagome, her words echoing glumly in her head. "She's so much prettier than me, I'm so jealous... and she's stronger. It's no wonder..." And so Kagome had once again dug herself into a distracted depression.
However, Kikyou was the last thing on InuYasha's mind at the moment. Actually, the first thing was a big fat orange squirrel who was trying to get him out of their tree, but Kagome was right after that. Now he had to apologize. Again. If only he hadn't just walked in, after Kagome had repeatedly scolded him for that very thing. Soon after his escape into the tree he remembered what Kagome had told him about walking into the bathroom. But Kagome would surely forgive him... right? He could only hope.
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The day passed quickly without play practice. The instructor had been out, along with a number of students, due to some sort of sweeping illness. Students and faculty were falling ill fast, and were slow to return. Fortunately for Kagome, she was rarely sick anyway (despite her Grandpa's excuses), so obviously she was able to fight things off well. Hopefully she would be able to escape this.
Arriving home, Kagome found a note taped to the fridge:
Kagome,
Grandpa and I had to go out of town to get some supplies for Grandpa. I think it has something to do with the epidemic. Souta is coming because he is ill, too. We'll be back before dinner, so don't fill up on junk!
Love, Mom
Kagome sighed and took it down, crumpling the memo in her hands and tossing it into the trashcan. And once again, Kagome found herself home alone. She only hoped that Inuyasha had decided to stick around instead of high-tailing it to the well.
Kagome trudged slowly upstairs and collapsed on her back, relieving herself of the weight of her book-bag with a small groan. She hadn't missed Inuyasha's prints in her rug, but he always did that.
Sitting up, Kagome grudgingly opened the yellow pack and dug for her English book. Pulling it free of the suffocating mass, she cracked it open. The familiar stale, limp pages flopped open; Kagome peeled two apart, pulled out her notes, and began working; or rather, staring fixedly at one spot in the book and brushing her chin with the end of her fluffy pink pen.
Inuyasha slid in from the window, and once again found himself flushed, though not nearly as dark as before.
"Hey, Kagome... er... sorry... 'bout earlier..." he mumbled, shuffling his foot in the rug and causing more marks. Kagome jumped, not having heard him come in. A blush was quickly blooming across her cheeks as well.
"Oh, Inuyasha! Yeah, it's okay... I guess..." she mumbled back before hunching over her book, making her look like a great big vulture.
"Um, your mom is gone..."
"What? Oh, I know, I got her note."
"Er… can I stay here for a while? Please?" Kagome lifted her head to look at Inuyasha, bewildered. Firstly, he asked to stay here for an indefinite period of time. Secondly, he said please, a sure indicator that training was going well.
"Uh, why? I mean, sure, but why?" she questioned, straightening a sore back and looking at him over the fluffy pink pen. Inuyasha scratched his head.
"They're just bothering me back there, and it's not like me staying there is going to make things go any faster. Hey," said Inuyasha, quick to cling to another subject. "What's with this... "game" you're doing?"
"Game? Oh, you mean my play?" Inuyasha nodded, enticing a giggle from the schoolgirl. 'Game, play, I get it, haha.' However, the smile slipped from Kagome's face as she remembered it. "Well, actually, it's about your time, Inuyasha."
"My time? So does it mention us?"
"Well..." Just then, Kagome's phone rang. Seizing this chance, Kagome leapt from her pink bed and dove for it, causing Inuyasha to jump back momentarily in surprise.
"Hello?"
"Kagome?" the voice sounded distraught. "We need to talk..."
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Author's note – I apologize for this short chapter! I wanted it up before the night was out, and concentrate on Kagome and Inuyasha. I'm also having trouble thinking how to follow it up... But have no fear, I will! Just stick around. :)
Next chapter – Kagome gets some jarring news, and informs Inuyasha about the play before practice resumes.